Brookline Town Meeting May 2018: What Happened Night 1

BROOKLINE, MA —Tuesday, May 22 the 2018 Annual Town Meeting opened at the Brookline High School Auditorium, at 7 p.m. with the National Anthem (complete with one little noticed Town Member even taking a knee) and then the puns that the group of legislators have become used to from Town Meeting Members when talking about the first item, began with groans and applause. A little levity before the more than 30 items of which the Town Meeting Members discuss, debate and then vote.

Each May, the town's legislative body gathers at the High School to consider and vote on a series of by-laws, amendments and resolutions that could all have various impact on Brookline.

On Night 1, the hot topic had to do with whether or not to allow a provision in the budget regarding the funding of turf at Cypress field. Debate went on as Town Meeting members discussed concerns related to environment, safety future need for repairs and the idea of Cypress Field as a park that many considered their back yard. And then there was the question of whether or not there should be more debate about pros and cons of turf v real grass. In the end, Town Meeting voted to take the turf off the table for Cypress.

Such a long list of articles and resolutions means town meeting will likely last at least two days. But some pundits predict it could go on for even longer. Night 1 the bulk of the conversation stayed focused on budget items.

Here's how they voted night one:

Article 1: Appointment of Measurers of Wood and Bark:

• Vote: Passed.

Article 2: Relating to 6 Collective Bargaining Agreements (Firefighters, ASPMEM, Library, School Traffic Supervisors, Dispatchers).

• Vote: Unanimous.

Article 3: Annual Authorization of Compensating Balance Agreements.

• Vote: Passed:

Article 4: no action

Article 5: Bills from previous years. But no bills

• Vote: No action

Article 6: Additional priority tax exemptions.

• Vote: passed unanimously.

Article 7: FY19 Appropriations aka the budget.

• Vote: the budget, amended to take the part about turf fields out, passed.

Check out the Town Meeting files here.
Some highlights of things to come with aforementioned Town Meeting Members their electronic voting devices, cups of hot dark water (some call it coffee) and cookies to debate and then vote:

• Several Articles related to the Gateway East project
• Grant of an easement at 2-4 Brookline Place
• Grant of a preservation restriction pertaining to the Brookline Reservoir Gatehouse
• By-law amendment re: erosion and sediment control
• Zoning by-law amendment re: sign by-law
• Six Articles related to marijuana zoning and regulation
• Renaming of Devotion School
• Legislation authorizing a Brookline Land Bank
• Legislation authorizing a Senior Circuit Breaker tax exemption
• Legislation authorizing an override and debt exclusion tax exemption for seniors
• By-law amendment requiring publication of living wage exempt positions
• Three articles relating to community control over police surveillance and militarization
• By-law amendment re: sustainable food containers and packaging
• By-law amendment re: prohibiting non-disclosure agreements
• Resolution re: review of Town practices regarding non-electronic communications
• Resolution honoring WWI soldiers
• Resolution to prevent nuclear war
• Resolution re: renaming Washington Street

Look for the hashtags #BrooklineTownMtg #BrklMtg #TownMeeting #LocalPoli

((Have you signed up for the daily free Brookline Patch newsletter yet? You should probably get on that. ))